Signors to acme knitting machine



June 2, 1925. 1,540,493

G. MURPHY ET AL NEEDLE SELECTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 2, 1925.

' G. MURPHY ET AL NEEDLE SELECTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR cmcuma KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 jaz/eiz 07:9

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June 2, 1925. G. MURPHY ET AL EDLE SELECTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1922 5 sheets-Sheet s June 2,-i925. 1,540,493

1 MURPHY ET AL NEEDLE SELECTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 {HUN l H i 11 II "\II I Q June 2, 1925..

. G. MURPHY ET AL NEEDLE SELECTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 25, 1922 Patented June 2, EQZS.

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GILBERT MURPHY AND WALTER A. -SIMOND, OF FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AS-

SIGNORS TO ACME KNITTING MACHINE &, NEEDLE COMPANY, OF FRANKLIN, NEW HAM'PSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF NEW HAMFSHIRE.

NEEDLE SELECTING AND OFERATING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING- MACHINES.

Application filed March 25, 1822.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GILBERT MURPHY and WALTER A. SIMoND, citizens of the United States, both residing at Franklin,

5 in the county of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Needle Selecting and Operating Mechanism for Circular- Knitting Machines, of which the following 10 is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to hosiery knitting machines of the circular type and is espe cially concerned with such machines which are adapted to knit either plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work, and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another.

Machines of this character are especially valuable in knitting hosiery having a ribbed leg or a ribbed cuff at the top of the leg because they avoid the necessity of performing part of the knitting operations on one machine and another part on a different machine. In knitting certain types of hosiery having a ribbed leg, and especially in the so-called sport hosiery, it is often desirable to knit the foot portion of the stocking or hose with a ribbed instep and a plain bottom. The plain bottom is more comfortable to walk on and the ribbed instep, having greater elasticity than aplain knit fabric, fits this part of the foot more agreeably. It is the chief object of the present invention to provide a machine of the type above mentioned with mechanism for automatically knitting a foot of the character just described.

In our co-pending application Serial No. 460,957 filed April 13, 1921, we have shown and described an automatic hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit either plain circular, ribbed, or reciprocating work, and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, and it is one of the objects of this invention to equip this machine with the mechanism necessary to enableit to produce automatically a stocking having afoot with the bottom thereof of plain fabric and the instep ribbed. At

Serial No. 546,563.

the same time it is contemplated that the machine provided by this invention may be used advantageously in the knitting of goods other than those specifically mentioned above.

The nature of the invention will be read-- ily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the head and adjacent parts of the machine shown and described in our application above identified, but modified in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical cross section, of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a plan view of part of the dial cam adjusting mechanism on a relatively large scale;

4 is a plan view of the dial cam adjusting mechanism including the connections with the pattern wheel of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the pattern wheel;

' Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view through the marginal portion of the pattern wheel;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the dial cams and the dial, the plane on which this section is taken lying immediately under the dial cam cap;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on the line 88, Fig. 7;

Figs. 9 and 10 are plan and side views, respectively, of the main section of the front dial cam;

Figs. 11 and 12 are plan and side views, respectively, of the auxiliary section of the front dial cam;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the dia: cams and parts of the adjusting levers for the cam elements;

Figs. let and 15 are side elevations, re-

of a portion 'spectively, of different forms of needle butts used in the dial; and

Fig. 16 is a side view of part of a stock ing that may be made on this machine.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine shown comprises a needle cylinder 2 mounted in a suitable machine frame and held' against rotation. The cylinder needles ing actuated (under control of the pattern mechanism of the machine) by a pawl 10 connected with an eccentric strap 11 which is operated by an eccentric 12 fast on the shaft 7; All these parts are constructed and operated in the manner shown and described in our prior application above designated, and reference should be made to this application for a complete description of the construction and operation of the machine.

In this machine a plain fabric is produced b the operation of the cylinder needles alone, and these needles also roduce the heel and toe pouches. When a ri bed fabric is to be made a set of dial needles is brought into operation, these needles cooperating with the cylinder needles to produce the ribbed work.

Referring to Fig. 7, the cylinder needles are indicated at C, the dial is shown at 14, and the dial needles are divided into two groups indicated, respectively, at A and B. The individual needles of the group A have short butts, as shown at a, Fig. 15, while the corresponding needles of the B gnoup have longer butts, as shown. at b, Fig. 14. The short butt needles cooperate with the cylinder needles in knitting the ribbed fabric at the back of the leg, while the long butt needles cooperate with the cylinder needles in knitting the ribbed fabricin the front of the leg. and in the instep portionof the foot.

In. order to enable the machine to knit a ribbed fabric in the instep portion of the foot and. a plain fabric in the bottom of the foot,ja' cam mechanismv is provided for operating the dial needles which enables one group to be thrown into and out of operation at will without affecting the operation of the other group. For this purpose the front cam, which projects the needles into position to take the thread or yarn, is divided. into .two parts, a main section 15 (see Figs. 7 to 10'), having a grooved path "6 for the guidance of the long butts 'Z) of the group B of dial needles, and an auxiliary section '17 which lies immediately under the main section 15. The section 17 has an outer needle guiding edge 18 of the same shape as the inner wall '16 of the groove 16, and this cam section may bemoved into position to cause the edge 18 to form a continuation of said wall 16 or it may be moved backwardly toward the center of the dial. Both the sections 15 and 17 are mount ed on a common pivot stud 20 which is secured in the dial cam 15, and the main cam section 15 has a pin- 22 secured rigidly therein and projecting upwardly through the dial cam cap. The auxiliary cam member 17 is provided with a similar pin 24 which likewise projects through the dial cam cap, the main cam section 15 being slotted, as shown at 25, Fig. 9, to avoid interference with the pin 24.

The dial cam also includes a rear adjustable cam 26 and intermediate cam members including a stitch cam 27, said cam members cooperating with the front and rear cams to. form a substantially coi'uplote path for the travel of the needle butts. Adjusting mechanisn'i is provided forthe rear cam 26 and the front cam member 15 which is sub stantially identical with that shown and described in our application above designated.

Referring more particularly to Figs; 3 and 4;, it will be seen that the adjusting I'l'lLCltflHlSID for the front cam section 15 comprises a link b0 which pivota-l'ly connects the pin 22 of said section with a lever or arm 31secu-red' fast on a rock shaft 32. A spring 33., Fig. 1, coiled about this rock shaft tends to rotate it in a couuter-clockwise direction and thus to hold the cam at the extreme outward limit of its movement, thislimit being determined by the length the slot in the dial cam cap 21 through which slot the pin 22 projects. A dog 34; fast on the rock shaft 32. has a point arranged to be engaged by as either of two latches 35 or 36 which serve to hold the front cam member 15 in either its intermediate or its innermost position. The rear cam has similar connections with another set of latches located at a diametri cally opposite point on the cam ring.

As above stated, this adjusting mecha- V nism for the front and rear cams is like that in the machine of our prior application above mentioned. An additional mechanism is provided for adjusting the auxiliary cam member 17 independently of the main cam 15. This additional mechanisnrcomprises a link 40 connecting the pin 24; of the auxiliary cam 17 with one end of a lever 41 which is fulcrumed' on the rock shaft '32. A spring 42 acts on the rearward end of this lever to hold the auxiliary cam normally in its outer- 1 most position. In order to lock the cam 17 Cir in its innermost position, a dog 43 is ful- -ia crumed on the rock shaft 32 and carries apin 4 1 arranged to bear against one side of the lever 41. This dog has a square ended projection 4:5 arranged to engage in a notch 46 formed in one arm'of a latch 47' pivoted ii on the stud l8, on which also are mounted the latches 35 and 36.

The outer ends of these latches, and also the outer ends of the dogs 34 and 43, are

mounted at different elevations and are po 33c sitioned to be enga ed at certain times by upper and lower (llSKs and 51, respectively, secured to the upper end of a post 52. This post is connected by a link 53, Figs. 1 and 2, with one end of a lever 54- which is fulcrumed on a stud and has a turned over lug or ear 56 through which is threaded an adjusting screw 57. This screw bears on the upper face of an arm 58 which is pivoted on the stud 55. The arm normally rests on the upper face of a lever 59 tulcrumed on the stud 60 and positioned to engage with one set of lugs 73, Fig. 4-, carried by the pattern wheel 9.

Another pair of. disks 62 and 63, corre sponding respectively to the disks 50 and 51,

and located at a diametrically opposite side of the machine head from the latter disks, but at a different elevation therefrom, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, are also arranged to be adjusted vertically by another set of lugs '4" 6 carried by the wheel 9. For this purpose the disks 62 and 63 are supported on a post 64 which is encircled by a spring 65 that normally holds the post in a depressed position determined by a stop or collar 66 pinned to the post 64. The lower end of this post bears on one end of a lever 67, fulcrumed at 68, Fig. 1, and a link 69 connects the opposite end of this lever with the rear end of a lever 70, Figs. 2 and 4, which is fulcrumed on the stud 60. The forward part of the lever 70 lies substantially parallel to and immediately beside the lever 59 so that it is in the path of movement of the lugs 7 6.

This pattern wheel, explained more fully in our prior application, has a series of radial grooves 72, Fig. 5, formed in one face thereof to receive the lugs 73, Figs. 5 and 6. A ring 74 is mounted to rotate on the hub of the wheel 9, and has a circumferential rib 75 adapted to engage in a notch formed in each one of the front series or" lugs 7 6. A pin 77, Fig. 6, connects each pair of lugs and these lugs are of different heights, depending on the amount of lift which it is desired to give to the respective levers 70 and 59. A gate or slot formed in the rib 7 5 is normally closed by a set screw 79, and when this set screw is withdrawn, the ring 74 may be rotated to bring the gate into register with any one of the lugs 7 6, and this lug with its companion lug 73 may then be removed from the pattern wheel. By a reversal of these operations a pair of lugs may be placed at any desired point in the wheel. Consequently, the two sets of disks 5051 and 6263 may be lifted into a predetermined elevation at any desired point in the operation of the machine. The ends of the latches and dogs which control the positions of the various elements of the dial cam are set at difiierent elevations and consequently any gig one of these latches or dogs may be moved, as desired, by raising one of the disks to the requisite position, and the degree to which the latch or dog will be adjusted may be predetermined by bringing either a larger or smaller disk into contact with it. It will be understood, of course, that these disks have no rotary bodily movement but that they are relatively stationary, while the latches and dogs rotate with the cam ring of the machine. Consequently, as they rotate past the disks they strike one or the other of the disks, when the latter are properly positioned, and in this manner effect the desired adjusting movements.

In using this machine the knitting operations on a stocking usually are begun at the toe, and the toe pouch (Z, Fig. 16, is first formed. This operation is performed on the cylinder needles operating in the usual manner. After the narrowing and widening operations necessary to form the toe pouch have been completed, circular knitting on the cylinder needles is resumed until a few courses have been formed above the course on which the seaming or looping operation later will be performed. During this time the dial cams have held the dial needles in their inactive positions and they have taken no part in the knitting operations. When this operation has pr0- grossed, say to the line 6, Fig. 16, at which it is desired to have the ribbing begin in the upper half of the foot, one pair of the disks 50-51 or 62-63 is raised into .the required elevation to adjust the front and rear cams 15 and 26 so that the long butt needles B will take the thread but will not shed their loops. The needles are held in this position for two courses in order to form tuck stitches on the long butt needles to partially close the holes or eyelets that otherwise would be formed by the change from plain to rib knitting. The front cam 15 is next released by the latch 35 and allowed to move to its outermost position, as shown in Fig. 3, thus causing the long butt needles to cooperate with the cylinder needles on the frontside of the machine to form a ribbed fabric. The short butt needles at this time are not in operation since the auxiliary cam 17 is held inward by the latch l? engaging the part 45 of the dog 43. Consequently, the cylinder needles which knit the fabric at the back of the leg and in the bottom of the foot produce merely a plain :tabric.

When the heel is reached circular knitting is stopped and reciprocating l-rnitting is commenced to form the heel pouch f, Fig. 16. At this time the dog 34 is struck by one of the disks, thus rotating the rock shaft 32 against the tension of the spring 33 and moving the front cam 15 inwardly.

This causes the long butt dial needles to hold the stitches on them while the heel is being knit in. In order to reduce the movement of these needles while the heel is being knit, the stitch cam 27 is moved only wardly. For this purpose this cam is pivoted at 80, Figs. and T, and is provided with a pin 81 projecting through a slot 82 formed in the dial cam cap 21. A spring 83: acts on the pin 81. to hold the cam normally in its inward position. The link 8st through which the adjustment of the rear cam 26 is eii'ected is pivoted to a pin 28 -WlllCll is fixed rigidly in the cam and projects through a slot 85 .in the dial cam cap; and a link 86 connects this pin with one end t a lever 87 iiilcrumed at 88. The opposite end of this lever bears against the inner side of the pin 81. When the link 84 is moved inwardly to its innermost position to close the rear cam 26, the bevelled end of the lever 87 engages the pin 81 and moves the stitch cam 27 outwardly. "his reduces the drawing movement oi the needles and relieves the tension on the loops held by them. The stitch cam is held in this position so long as the rear dial cam member 26 is held in its innermost position, but the stitch cam is released again when the link 84; is moved to adjust the rear cam outwardly. As soon as it is so released. the spring 83 returns the stitch cam again to its normal position. The normal position of the stitch cam may be adjusted by the pointed screw '90 and this screw is locked by another screw 91.

IVhen the heel pocket has been completed the front cam member 15 is moved to its outermost position again, thus bringing the long butt dial needles Ii into operation and thereby causing the machine to knit a ribbed fabric in the front part of the leg and a plain fabric in the rear portion of the leg. Usually these operations are continued for a few courses until approximately the line 9, Fig. 16, is reached, and then the auxiliary cam is moved outwardly to its operative position, thus bringing the short butt needles A into action, and producing a ribbed fabric on the entire circumferential set of needles. In other words, a ribbed fabric is formed at the back as well as at the front of the leg.

This movement of the auxiliary cam into its operative position is produced by the use of a lug of suitable height in the pattern wheel 9, thus raising one of the disks into proper position to strike the latch 47 and move it into the position shown in Fig. 3, where it is out of engagement with the part l5 of the dog 43. As soon as this action takes place the spring 42 moves the auxiliary cain 17 to the Outer limit of its range of adjustment. The opposite movement of the auxiliary cam is produced by raising one of the disks in the .proper..po-

sition o strike the dog 43, thus swinging it about the pin far enough to enable the spring all) to swing the latch 17 into position to engage the'notch 46 with the projection of the dog. In its outermost position the auxiliary cam 17 projects the "'utt needles in the same path that butt needles tliollow so that both groups of needles have the same action. The Still-1603 311 members retract both groups of needles. l/Vhen the auxiliary cam is in its in position the short butt needles'are not proje ted far enough to take the thread and consequently they do not knit at this time.

it will now be appreciated that this inveition provides a simple and reliable mechani. for enabling a machine of the char actcr above described to knit a ribbed fabric on one section of its circular series of needles, while another section of said needles knits a plain tabric. As above stated, the mechanism is especially valuable in knitting the so-called sport hosiery where it is desired to knit the toot portion of the stocking with a ribbed instep and a plain bottom. The mechanism is entirely automatic in its action and it under the corn trol of the pattern mechanism so that the changes in the styles of knitting can be made at any desired points in the work.

While we have herein shown and described the best embodiment of the inven tion of which we are at present aware, it will be appreciated that this embodiment may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the spirit or scope oi this invention.

Having thus described our invention. what we desire to claim as new is:

LIn a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and tochange automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of needles forknitting plain circular work, a set of dial needles cooperating with the first set to knit a ribbed fabric, said dial needles consisting o1? two groups, and mechanism for operating said dial needles, said mechanism including a divided cam having sections "for projecting the needles o1 said respective groups into yarn taking position, and means for adjusting said sections independently of each other.

In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work a. d to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one

havinglonger butts than the other, mecha-" nisin for operating said dial needles including an upper cam section for projectng the long butt needles into thread taking position and a lower cam section for proje:.-ting the short butt needles into said posi;ion, and means for automatically adjusting said cam, sections independently of e ch In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the "or nation of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, mechanism 101' operating said dial needles in cluding a main cam for projecting the long butt needles into thread receiving position, and auxiliary cam overlapping said main cam and operative to project the short butt ,dles into said position, and automatic mechanism for adjusting said cams independently of each other.

4. In a hosiery knitting machine adaptedto knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, cam mechanism for operating said dial needles including an adjustable stitch cam, and mechanism for automatically adjusting said stitch cam during the knitting operation to modify the tension exerted by the dial needles on the loops held by them.

5. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocatin work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, cam mechanism for operating said dial needles including an adjustable stitch cam, and mechanism for automatically moving said stitch cam during the knitting operation to reduce the drawing movement exerted thereby on the needles.

6. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one be ing longer butts than the other, cam mechanism for operating said dial needles including an adjustable stitch cam and another cam adjustable to control the action of the dial needles, and a common mechanism for adjusting both of said cams.

7. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer outts than the other, a di vided front cam comprising a main grooved cam section for operating the long butt needles and an auxiliary cam section overlapping said main section for acting on the short butt needles, a rear cam for acting on both sets of needles, intermediate parts forming a path for both sets of needles and including an adjustable stitch cam, and automatic mechanism for adjusting each of said cams and cam sections during the knitting operation to produce predetermined changes in said operation.

8. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit'plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, mechanism for operating said dial needles including a main cam for projecting the long butt needles into thread receivinig position, an auxiliary cam operative to project the short butt needles into said position, a cam for retracting both groups of needles, and means under control of the pattern mechanism of the ma chine for adjusting said main and auxiliary cams independently of each other.

9. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder nee dles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, mechanism for operating said dial needles including a main cam for projecting the long butt needles into thread receiving position, an auxiliary cam operative to project the short butt needles into said position, mechanism for automatically adjusting said main.- cam, and additional mechanism for automatically adjust- .ing said auxiliary cam independently of said main cam.

, 10. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles oi? knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set off dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, cam mechanisin for operating said dial needles including an adjustable stitch cam, a spring tending to hold said cam in a given position, a rear cam adjustable to control the action ofthe dial needles, and automatic mechanism for adjusting said rear cam comprising a part pivoted to said cam, and connections between said part and said stitch cam for adjusting said stitch cam against the action of said spring.

11. In a hosiery knitting machine adapted to knit plain circular, ribbed or reciprocating work and to change automatically from one of said styles of knitting to another, the combination of a set of cylinder needles for knitting a plain circular fabric, a set of dial needles cooperating with said cylinder needles to knit a ribbed fabric, said set of dial needles consisting of two groups, one having longer butts than the other, a divided front cam comprising a main section for operating the long butt needles and an auxiliary cam section for operating the short butt needles, another cam for acting on both sets of needles, automatic mechanism for adjusting said cam and cam sections comprising relatively stationary adjustable parts located at opposite sides of the needle cylin' der and under control of the pattern mechanism of the machine, and latch and lever mechanisms cooperating with said parts to effect the adjusting movements of said camsv In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

GILBERT MURPHY. WALTER A. SIMOND. 

